Did a CBC reporter collude with members of the Liberal Party to ask questions designed to embarrass Brian Mulroney during his testimony in front of the Commons ethics committee looking into the Karlheinz Schreiber affair?

If such collusion did take place, there are some serious questions raised:

• Why were the questions apparently unconnected to the Schreiber story?
• When asked to explain the basis of the question, Liberal MP Pablo Rodriguez said it was to gauge Brian Mulroney's credibility, since Stephen Harper had ordered his government not to have contact with Mulroney until the Schreiber matter was settled.  But then that means the question would have more likely embarrassed the government and not Brian Mulroney.  Clearly this a partisan goal for the Liberals.  Was it a goal for the CBC reporter too?
• What else might the Liberals have expected to get out of this?  Consideration in some future CBC story?
• Why the cloak-and-dagger theatrics?  Why not interview Brian Mulroney separately?
• Why not come forward and explain his or her side of the story? 

This story deals a great deal with the issue of journalistic ethics.  What constitutes ethical behaviour for a journalist?  Who is judge when there is an alleged lapse?

The CBC seems to think that an ethical lapse has already occurred, so in terms of a story, this seems pretty "solid".

If so, why so little coverage by the CBC?

How can the CBC report on itself?  Which reporter handles the story?  Obviously not one connected directly to it, but then every CBC reporter probably knows who the person under investigation is.  In reporting on the story, the reporter would be compelled to include that in the report.

Again, a difficult situation for the CBC.  You can't help but feel some sympathy.

Some of that sympathy evaporates, though, when you consider the history of how the CBC has followed other alleged lapses.   Consider the story of David Emerson.  The former Liberal cabinet minister crossed the floor to join the Harper Conservative government.  Was he enticed to join with a promise of a cabinet seat?

Other than allegations from political rivals, no one actually had any evidence that there was any enticement.  The ethics commissioner cleared David Emerson and the Conservatives.  That did not stop the CBC from reporting on the "ethics" of the Emerson situation week after week:

February 11, 2006, "'I won't quit' embattled Emerson tells CBC":

Meanwhile, the NDP is asking the federal ethics commissioner, Bernard Shapiro, to investigate whether Harper breached any rules by offering Emerson a cabinet seat in exchange for crossing the floor.

"I think there's an appearance here that there was a reward that was offered for him crossing the floor and I think that's why Mr. Shapiro, our ethics commissioner, needs to conduct an inquiry into exactly what happened," said NDP MP Peter Julian, who wrote to the commissioner.

Emerson has said he was approached by the Tories and offered the cabinet job.

March 3, 2006, "Harper 'loath' to co-operate with ethics commissioner":

The Prime Minister's Office attacked the credibility of the ethics commissioner Friday night after he announced an investigation into conflict of interest allegations against Stephen Harper.

Ethics commissioner Bernard Shapiro said he will look into what influence Harper wielded to convince former Liberal cabinet minister David Emerson to cross the House of Commons floor.

"The Prime Minister is loath to co-operate with an individual whose decision-making ability has been questioned, moreover who has been found in contempt of the House," said Sandra Buckler, the prime minister's director of communications.

"This Liberal appointee's actions have strengthened the Prime Minister's resolve to create a truly non-partisan ethics commissioner, who is accountable to Parliament."

Emerson ran as a Liberal in the campaign leading up to the Jan. 23 general election, but was a surprise appointment to Harper's Conservative cabinet on Feb. 6.

March 3, 2006, The National:

JAMES CUDMORE (REPORTER) :

But Shapiro's investigation is expected to focus on the prime minister and whether he broke the rules when he invited Emerson to cross the floor.

BRYON WILFERT (ONTARIO LIBERAL MP) :

It, of course, is illegal to offer an inducement. In this case, the inducement would be pretty clear, a position in cabinet.

JAMES CUDMORE (REPORTER) :

Today before the investigation became public, Emerson defended his move yet again saying it wasn't about the high-profile cabinet job or the cash that comes with it.

DAVID EMERSON (MINISTER OF INTERNATIONAL TRADE) :

I made a decision I thought was in the best interests of my constituents and the people in Vancouver and the people in B.C.

JAMES CUDMORE (REPORTER) :

The prime minister's director of communications, Sandra Buckler, accused the Liberal-appointed ethics commissioner of bias.

SANDRA BUCKLER (PRIME MINISTER'S DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS) :

What we're seeing today is a partisan complaint about a political dispute. This prime minister is not going to look upon this as a fair or non-partisan activity, and he's loath to cooperate with an individual whose credibility has been questioned.

March 9, 2006, The National:

PETER MANSBRIDGE (HOST) :

The political battle on Parliament Hill that has the opposition threatening the Prime Minister with a very big stick. -

BRIAN STEWART (HOST) :

Thanks, Peter. Prime Minister Stephen Harper was accused of violating an act of Parliament today and setting a dangerous precedent, all for his apparent refusal to cooperate with the federal ethics commissioner. Bernard Shapiro is trying to look into Harper's conduct after the election when he was courting a Liberal along with a whole lot of controversy. Eric Sorensen reports.

ERIC SORENSEN (REPORTER) :

The brief sand storm Stephen Harper expected may be turning into quick sand. His decision to plunk Liberal David Emerson into cabinet is now overshadowed by his decision to balk at an investigation into it. The New Democrats are considering a motion to find the prime minister in contempt of Parliament.

March 11, 2006, CBC Radio The House:

JIM BROWN (HOST):

I'm Jim Brown. Welcome to The House.

It's been another bad week at the office for Bernard Shapiro. The ethics commissioner is now in a very public spat with the new prime minister. Late last week, Mr. Shapiro announced he's investigating former Liberal David Emerson 's decision to cross the floor and join the Conservative cabinet. On Tuesday, David Emerson said he has nothing to hide from the ethics commissioner.

DAVID EMERSON (MINISTER OF INTERNATIONAL TRADE):

There was no inducement, uh, for me to cross over. And uh, clearly I will... I will abide by the, uh, by the rules and standards that apply to all members of parliament.

JIM BROWN (HOST):

But Prime Minister Harper isn't as open to cooperating with the ethics commissioner. Harper doesn't like the idea of anyone telling him who he can have in his cabinet.

March 11, 2006, CBC Radio The House:

JIM BROWN (HOST):

Sandra Buckler, Prime Minister Harper's director of communications, serving notice that Stephen Harper will refuse to play ball with parliament's ethics commissioner. Even before the Emerson investigation, Stephen Harper was looking for a replacement for Bernard Shapiro. He asked Ed Broadbent, but the former New Democrat Member of Parliament declined. Ed Broadbent joins me in the studio. Welcome back to The House.

ED BROADBENT (FORMER NDP MP):

Good to be back.

JIM BROWN (HOST):

What right does the prime minister have to refuse to cooperate with the ethics commissioner?

ED BROADBENT (FORMER NDP MP):

None. He has no right to refuse. In fact his legal obligation, Section 24.7 (?) of the Conflict of Interest Code, requires that all members of parliament - and Mr. Harper is a member of parliament - cooperates with the ethics commissioner.

March 20, 2006, The National:

PETER MANSBRIDGE (HOST):

But we begin, as always, with the news, and a question of ethics. The prime minister and a member of his cabinet. From the moment Stephen Harper convinced former Liberal David Emerson to switch sides, it has been controversial. Today, the federal ethics commissioner released his report. Eric Sorenson has the story.

DAVID EMERSON (CABINET MINISTER):

I, David Emerson...

ERIC SORENSON (REPORTER):

This, says the ethics commissioner, did not break the rules. He says it's up to the prime minister to choose who's in his cabinet, even a Liberal. Bernard Shapiro concluded, "no special inducement was offered by Mr. Harper" to convince David Emerson to join cabinet, and Shapiro accepted Emerson 's contention that he could "better serve his city, province, and country" by taking the job. The prime minister was terse when he first responded to Shapiro's investigation.

March 20, 2006, "No Rules broken in Emerson affair: watchdog":

Neither Prime Minister Stephen Harper nor International Trade Minister David Emerson broke any rules when Harper persuaded Emerson to cross the floor just after the recent federal election, the country's ethics commissioner says.

"I am satisfied that no special inducement was offered by Mr. Harper to convince Mr. Emerson to join his cabinet and his party," Bernard Shapiro says in a written ruling released Monday.

"In addition, there is no reason, and certainly no evidence, to contradict Mr. Emerson's own claim that accepting Mr. Harper's offer seemed, at least to him, a way to better serve his city, province and country."

Emerson was elected as a Liberal in the B.C. riding of Vancouver-Kingsway on Jan. 23 but was sworn in as a member of Harper's Conservative cabinet two weeks later, to the anger of many Liberals who had worked for his re-election.

His defection gave the Conservative minority government one more vote in the 308-seat House of Commons.

'This was never an ethics issue': Harper

Three opposition MPs had complained to Shapiro that Harper broke the conflict of interest code for members of the House of Commons by offering an "inducement" to Emerson in the form of a cabinet position, which carries a higher salary and extra benefits not available to a backbench MP.

"This was never an ethics issue...," the prime minister said in a statement a short time after the ethics commissioner's ruling was released.

"The attacks on David Emerson have, since his appointment, been nothing more than a partisan effort to demean his fine record of public service."